Screwed
by Zane's Girl- Jo
Summary: W/o giving him an answer, she'd slid the ring on her finger, intending to tell him that she wanted to spend the rest of her life w/him. She wasn't counting on going back to 1947 & returning to an alternate time. So what happens when new Zane discovers that she's wearing his grandmother's ring? As usual, Zane-albeit a different Zane- does something that gets Jo completely screwed.
1. Chapter 1

**Screwed**

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Summary: She slipped the ring on. Without giving him an answer, she'd slid the ring on her finger, intending to tell him in a couple days that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She wasn't counting on going back to 1947 and returning to an alternate time. So what happens when the new Zane discovers that she's wearing his grandmother's ring? As usual, Zane-albeit a different Zane- does something that gets Jo completely screwed.**

"Come on, get off! _Off!_ _Son of a bitch, Zane, you're a dead man!"_

She stumbled, tripping over her trash can and landing on her ass on the floor of her office. She climbed to her feet, slumping into her chair as she struggled to get the ring off. It'd been two weeks since they'd returned from 1947, and Jo had been careful to avoid Donovan and all his ilk. The fact that she'd slipped the ring onto her finger not long after arriving in 1947 Eureka- just in case she didn't make it back to tell him yes- and then shown up here in the alternate time, with the engagement ring somehow melded into her skin, was her own fault, and hers alone.

It was Zane's fault for proposing to her in the first place.

At that stupid jail cell.

With that stupid box from Lesa's Lingerie.

Recreating that stupid first meeting of theirs.

She should have locked him in and left, then she wouldn't be in this mess.

"You are_ so dead_, Zane." She muttered, climbing to her feet and plucking one of her EXACTO knives off the shelf. She flicked it open and laid her hand on the table. Just as she worked to slip the edge of the knife under the ring, her office door opened and Carter entered, a cup of coffee in his hands.

"Just thought I'd come check on-" He stopped in the middle of her office, watching as his best friend attempted to slice her ring finger off of her left hand. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! What are you doing, Jo?" He cried, setting the coffee cups down and rushing to her. He snatched the knife out of her hand and grabbed her other hand, checking to make sure she hadn't cut the skin. He glanced down at her hand, noticing an engagement ring on her finger. It was pretty. "God, Jo, what were you thinking-" He stopped, doing a double take. He pulled her hand closer, examining the ring. "Is that... an _engagement_ ring?" She quickly pulled her hand away.

"Yes." Jack stood back for several minutes, attempting to wrap his brain around the fact that his best friend was engaged... but to who?

"So, who's the lucky guy?" He asked, flicking the knife closed and returning it to its place on the shelf. Jo bit her lip.

"Give you one... guess."

"Zane proposed? Again?" He asked.

"No! I... I haven't seen Zane in two weeks! This is... when Zane proposed to me in the _other_ time line, I... I didn't give him an answer... and... and by the... by the time we were thrown into the other timeline, I was... going to say yes. I..." She took a deep breath. "I put it on after we arrived in 1947 just in case I didn't return to tell him. But... but instead of going back to the old timeline, we came here, to this new one. And... the ring... it melded to my finger. I can't get it off. And I've been trying to get it off for two weeks."

"Why?" Jack asked, taking her hand back and examining the ring. The diamond sparked in the light.

"Because... because in _this_ timeline... Zane and I aren't together. We don't even know each other, let alone like each other. He's with... Zoe." She whispered the last word, as tears began to gather in her eyes. Nodding, Jack brought her hand closer, taking a good look at the ring.

Jo was right, the ring seemed to be melded into her flesh. In fact, it was difficult to figure out where her finger ended and the ring began. After a moment, he gently let go of her hand and pulled his cell out of his pocket. "Who are you calling?" She asked, returning to her failed attempts at pulling the ring off.

"Henry. He'll know what to do about it." Jack said, putting the phone to his ear. "Although he'll never believe it." She rolled her eyes, turning her back to him. "Hey, Henry? It's Jack. Look, can you come by Jo's office, we've got a bit of a situation here... Okay. See you soon." He hung up the call and slipped the phone into his pocket. "He'll be here in a few."

"Great..." Jo muttered, yanking on her finger again. The ring still didn't budge. She turned back to Carter. "Would you help me figure out how to get this thing off me, _please_?" She demanded.

He chuckled softly from his place across her office. After a moment, he went to her, taking the hand she held out. They struggled for several minutes, until Henry entered. The older man stopped, watching as Jo lost her footing and crashed into Carter, sending them both to the floor. She raised her head, staring into his eyes for several minutes before getting up. "Sorry."

"Am I... interrupting?" Henry asked, as Carter climbed to his feet. Jo tossed her head.

"No. I just need you to get this off me." She went to Henry and held out her hand. The older man stared at the engagement ring, slightly shocked to see their former Chief Deputy wearing a diamond engagement band.

"You're sure?" He asked.

"Yes! Now get it off!"

Seeing the anger smouldering in Jo's eyes, Henry started to work on her finger. He tried every thing he could think of, from solvents to pastes to liquid solutions. Nothing worked. Finally, Henry dropped Jo's hand and sighed.

"It's not coming off, Jo, I'm sorry. The ring's somehow melded beneath your skin. And it looks like it might be fused to your bones."

_"What do you mean it's not coming off?"_ Jo cried.

"I'm sorry, Jo. It's not going to come off." Henry said. She glared at him, before turning from them. She fiercely tried to dislocate her own finger, screaming in frustration.

_"You'd better run, Zane! Because when I get my hands on you, Donovan, you're a dead man!"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"It can't be that bad, Jo."

"What, wearing this stupid ring or being in an alternate world where Zane and I never existed as a couple?" She asked, sliding into a seat at the counter of Cafe Diem. Vincent set a Vinspresso in front of her, and she grabbed it, downing half of it in a matter of minutes. Carter chuckled softly.

"Someone's in a snit today." He replied, siping his coffee. She glared at him, slipping her left hand between her thighs. The sharp cut of the diamond sliced through the material of her black slacks; the feel of blood beginning to pool made her momentarily squirm, but if it meant keeping the ring hidden from the rest of the town, she'd gladly bleed to death.

"Just because I don't want the whole town to know that I'm wearing Donovan's engagement ring- especially the alternate time's engagement ring. That is the _last thing_ I need right now." She replied, leaning close to Carter. He snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Still haven't figured out a way to get it off? Besides slicing your own finger off?" He asked.

"You heard Henry. It's fused to the bone. Melded into my skin..." She glanced down between her thighs; gently, she removed her hand, and saw the small flecks of blood dotting the stone and her finger. After a moment, she slipped her hand back between her thighs and shifted uncomfortably. "I'm going to kill him for this, you know."

"Which one?" Carter asked. "The one in this time or the one who gave you the ring in the first place?" She thought a moment.

"Both."

He sighed, finishing his coffee. Then, he set the cup down and got up.

"Come on, Jo. Let's go. You need to get to work and so do I." He got up, reached beneath the counter and wrenched her hand out from between her thighs.

"Hey!" He didn't give Vincent time to ask questions as he curled his fingers around Jo's, doing his best to hide the ring from the cafe owner's eyes.

"Thanks, Vincent!" He called, dragging the Chief of Security out of the cafe. He dragged her to his car and shoved her into the passenger seat. "I"ll take you to work today. I need to make sure to remove all sharp objects from your office anyway. Make sure you don't try to slice your own finger off again in another attempt to get that ring off." He muttered, starting the car and pulling away from the curve.

Jo slumped into the passenger seat, staring out the window. They rode in silence to GD; Jo didn't speak up until they'd pulled into the parking lot, and when she did, she didn't turn to him.

"Is it... serious? Between Zane and Zoe?" She asked, playing with her nails. She didn't look at Carter, but he turned to her.

"No. It's not."

"How do you know?" She asked, going to twist the ring, only to remember that if she twisted the ring, she'd break her finger in the process. She sounded like a child, lost and alone and scared. He sighed.

"Because he avoids her. He makes up every excuse in the book to stay as far away from her as possible, and get as close to you as he can. He pulls ridiculous pranks to get you to notice him, something Zoe would never have allowed. She'd have blown up if he'd tried with her what he's done to you. And whenever they're together, he's always watching you, always looking for you when you aren't around. He cares about Zoe, but more like... like a..."

"Like us?" Jo filled in, looking up. He thought a moment, before nodding.

"Yeah. Like us. More of a brother/sister relationship than boyfriend/girlfriend. He only has eyes for you, Jo. Only you." She sighed, finally turning to look at him.

"Really?" Carter nodded. "How do you know?" She asked, laying her head back against the rest.

"Because I see it in his face, in his eyes whenever he's around you, or whenever you aren't there. He searches for you, watches you... he knows your every move and can read every expression on your face from clear across the room. Jo, have you ever heard the song, Some Enchanted Evening?" Carter asked, propping his arm on the rest behind him.

"From_ South Pacific_? Rogers and Hammerstein." She replied. Her mother had sung the song to her when she was little- it had been her lullaby until her mother...

"Exactly." Carter replied. "'Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger across a crowded room. And somehow you know, you know even then, that somewhere you'll see her again and again. Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing- you may hear her laughing across a crowded room. And night after night, as strange as it seems, the sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.'"

He watched Jo as he softly spoke the lines; her eyes closed briefly, memories of her mother singing the song to her came rushing back. She sniffled softly.

"'Who can explain it? Who can tell you why? Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.'" Gently, he reached over and brushed a tear from her cheek. "'Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love, when you feel her call you across a crowded room, then fly to her side, and make her your own. For all through your life, you may dream all alone.'"

Her eyes opened and she sniffled. "'Once you have found her, never let her go.'" Jo finished softly, as Carter again wiped another tear from her cheek. He nodded.

"He loves you, Jo. He's seen you and he's decided that you belong to him. And he won't let you go. He'd fly to your side if only you'd let him. If you'd just... lower your walls and let him come to you, he'd never leave you alone. It's up to you. You can either let your guard down and let him truly make you his, or you can close yourself off and avoid him like you've been doing and spend the rest of your life dreaming of the future you could have had. It's your choice, Jo. Okay?" She nodded. He gave her a small smile, before leaning over and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

As they climbed out of the car, Carter slipped an armaround Jo's waist and hugged her. They stepped into GD, talking softly as they headed for Jo's office.

"Hey Carter?" She asked, as she stepped up to the scanner.

"Yeah?"

"How did you know about South Pacific?" She asked, as she stepped through the door. He shrugged sheepishly.

"My mom took me to see it in New York when I was ten. And then I saw the movie, and the show just... stuck. Why?"

She turned back to him. "Because you were carrying a tune. Nice voice, Orbach."

He stared at her dumbfounded; it took him several minutes to realize that she'd just compared him to _Law and Order_'s Jerry Orbach. But by the time he finally realized it, the door had closed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Once the door closed behind her, she took a seat at her desk and leaned back, closing her eyes as her nerves began to unravel.

"I was wondering when you'd get here."

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, glancing around. She found nothing, and taking a deep breath, leaned back again in her chair and took a deep breath, once again closing her eyes. She pressed her fingers to her temples to stop the migraine that was beginning to make its appearance.

"Are you going to talk to me or just sit there?"

Once again, her eyes snapped open, and she leaned forward. She swallowed, taking a deep breath, telling herself that she wasn't losing her mind, that she was just tired and hearing things. She hadn't slept well last night, after all.

"Over here."

Slowly, she turned her attention towards her cell. Her heart dropped into her stomach as her throat dried up. She struggled to take a breath, and couldn't remember how to form coherent thought.

He watched her from his place on the cot in the cell. His blue eyes took in every little detail of her appearance, and he raised an eyebrow. She struggled to speak, but succeeded in only shutting her mouth in shock. After a moment, she climbed to her feet and moved around her desk, going to the cell. He looked up at her, taking in her stunned expression.

"Well, are you going to say something?"

It took a moment, before she was able to take a breath and return enough oxygen to her brain to form a coherent sentence, and another few moments to finally _speak_ it.

"Wh... what are you doing? How... how the hell'd you get into my office, let alone my cell?" She demanded. He shrugged.

"I may have messed with the retina recognization on your scanner and added my DNA to it." He said, glancing quickly at her. "Just relax, I spent the night in here." He added, at her annoyed look. After a moment, he patted the cot beneath him and shrugged. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

"What do you want?" She demanded. He got up and went to the plexiglass that seperated them. He reached out, laying a hand gently on the glass, looking into her eyes.

"I want to know what we were." He whispered, holding her gaze. She took a deep breath, before turning from him, a hand covering her mouth. After a moment, she said,

"Nothing. We were nothing."

Then, she went to the pad and typed the code in. The cell slid open, and she went back to her desk. He watched her. "J-"

"You can go." The tension in her voice caused him to stop, and he watched as she took a seat at her desk, resting her forehead against her hands.

"Look, I'm sorry-"

"I said go!" She snapped, looking up at him. He nodded, turning to do as told, before turning back to her. She'd dropped her hands and had tilted her head back, eyes closed. Her left hand rested on the desktop, and slowly, he moved towards her.

It... _couldn't_ be...

He leaned close, getting a good look at her finger.

It was.

His heart dropped into his stomach as he stared at the diamond of his grandmother's ring. The familiar gold band seemed to have disappeared, until he gently lifted her hand to get a better look. It was then that he saw that the band wasn't gone.

It was there.

Fused to her skin.

He could see the band beneath the light olive of her flesh, noted the smooth curve of the ring, saw that the diamond seemed to grow from her skin. Gently, he tried to peel her skin back, but had no luck. Just as he'd thought.

The ring had become a part of her, almost like an extra appendage growing out of her hand. He didn't get it. How...

Especially since he'd never met Jo until a few weeks ago.

So how had she ended up with his grandmother's ring?

And what had she done to get the trinket fused permanently to her?

As he continued to study her hand, the woman in question opened her eyes. Dark depths stared at him in shock, and she sat up, trying desperately to pull her hand away.

"I told you to go, Donovan!" She snapped; he kept his grip on her hand. She struggled, but he held firm. After a moment, he asked,

"H... Wh... what are you doing with my grandmother's ring?"


	4. Chapter 4

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to cccccCc for reviewing 3.**

Her mouth went dry as she tried to pull her hand out of his grasp. He held strong, refusing to relinquish his grip on her. She struggled, and her attempts to pull away only made him hold tighter to her. And with one strong tug, he pulled her into his arms, holding her against his body.

Her first instinct was telling her to shove him away and run.

Her second was telling her to tell him the truth about the time travel.

Her third, was screaming to kiss him.

She leaned close, slowly closing the gap between them, before her rationale kicked in and she pushed him away.

"Go away. Leave me alone."

He refused to relinquish his grip on her, and instead, leaned down and captured her lips in his. He snaked an arm tight around her waist and when she tried to pull away, he grabbed her head with his free hand and brought her back to him. Their lips crashed hungrily together, and slowly, she reached up to cradle his face.

She pulled away moments later, horrified by what she'd done.

"Why didn't that feel like a first kiss?" He asked, resting his forehead against hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it quickly, shaking her head. "What were we to each other, Jojo?" He asked softly, grabbing her ponytail and bringing her lips back to his. They spent the next several minutes sharing kiss after kiss, before breaking for air. After a moment, she said,

"Zane, I..."

"Jo, Allison's-" The couple looked up; Carter stood in the doorway, mouth open in shock at the embracing pair. Quickly, Jo pulled away from Zane, reaching up to tuck an invisible strand of hair behind her ear. She glanced down at the ring, before trying again to pull it off, to no avail. "Jo... we've tried everything we can think of, and it's not coming off. Allison just got the x-rays." He pulled a few slides from a manilla envelope, going to her. She looked up, taking them.

"The ring's become part of your DNA now, Jo. The only way we could remove it... would be surgery."

She glanced quickly at the x-rays before dropping them on her desk and crying,

"Then tell Allison to prep me for surgery."

"Jo-"

"I want this ring off, Jack! All it does is make me relive every memory before going to 1947, and it hurts. I look at it, and I want to crawl into a hole and die. I want him back, but he's not here... and I'm never going to see him again, because we came to an alternate time-"

"What do you mean you came to an 'alternate time?'" Jo stopped, her eyes wide with fear as she slowly turned. Zane stood going over the x-rays he'd picked up from her desk. He looked up at her. "You went to 1947? And then came here?" He asked, meeting Jo's eyes.

After a moment, she crumpled to the ground, burying her face in her hands. She struggled not to cry, but lost the battle. Tears began to slip down her cheeks; Zane cringed at the horrid sound escaping her lips. Slowly, Carter knelt down next to her, but she pushed him away.

"I'll go find Allison and the others." He said, standing. She didn't reply. He watched her for several minutes, before going to the door. Once he was gone, Zane spoke up.

"You aren't from this time." She didn't say a word, refused to look in his direction. Taking a deep breath, he went around the desk and sat beside her on the floor. "What time are you from?" He asked, looking at her.

"What do you care? We don't know each other. We don't like each other. You're dating Carter's daughter. I'm just the moron that put everyone in jeopardy. I might as well resign." He sighed, going over the x-rays again.

"You aren't a moron, Jojo. You're brilliant. And it's not like I'm in love with Zoe. I'm just with her to push Carter's buttons. She's more of a sister to me than a lover. There's nothing there. Not like there is with you." He said, setting the x-rays down turning her chin to face him. She stared at him, tears running down her cheeks. "That wasn't a first kiss, Jojo. It didn't feel like it. It wasn't. There was something before." He moved to close the gap seperating them, but she stood and began pacing. She didn't hear Jack return with other four; didn't notice them in the doorway as she started ranting.

"There's nothing between us, Zane! There never has been! You're in love with Zoe!"

"I told you, I'm not-"

"And _yes_, there _was_ an alternate timeline! A timeline where we were together, and you- _he_-_ proposed_ and _I froze_! We were in love and I blew it. I destroyed our future, and now... now I'll never get him back! And I've screwed up once again and put Allison and Henry and Carter and Fargo in danger... they'll lose their jobs because of me... I'm a danger to everyone and I need to vanish... if I could, I'd go back to that day and say yes. I wouldn't hesitate, and I'm marry him... I wouldn't go back to 1947... and we'd probably have a couple kids by now... but I can't... I can't do anything..._ I'm screwed, and I've screwed up everyone else's lives too..."_

"You didn't screw up anything, Jo." The younger woman turned as Allison spoke.


	5. Chapter 5

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Slowly, the older woman stepped into the office, going to the woman and taking her hands.

"You did nothing wrong, Jo. You're in love."

"I exposed our secret. You'll lose your jobs because of me." She replied, pulling away. Everyone watched as she worked the combination on the cell and stepped inside once the door slid open. She curled up on the cot and struggled to control her tears.

Zane quickly climbed to his feet and went to her. "I won't tell. Who's going to believe me anyway?" He asked, watching her. She glanced up at him, before sitting up and turning around, putting her back to him. He sighed.

Carter went to the cell and slipped inside, sitting beside her. "Jo, look at me." Slowly, the woman sat up and turned to face him. Tears slid down her face, and he gently brushed them away. The sweet gesture made Zane's blood boil with jealousy. Just the thought of him touching her, let alone the_ action_...

"It'll be okay." He whispered, pulling her close. "Some Enchanted Evening, remember?" She shook her head as she curled into his chest, eventually pulling away.

"No Carter, there's no such thing as an Enchanted Evening. Not for me. I deserve to spend the rest of my life dreaming alone." She climbed to her feet and slipped out of the cell, arms tight around herself. She went to her desk, and slowly began removing things from her desk. "My resignation will be on your desk by tomorrow morning, Fargo."

"Jo, you can't-" Henry started.

"Along with the deed and keys to my house. Find a good owner for it. I'll be out of town and out of your hair by twilight tomorrow. And then, once I get to D.C, I'll turn myself in. There's no reason why your lives should end because of my mistake." She finished, picking up her bag. Then, she pushed through the small group, who'd huddled around her desk, going to the door.

"You can't do this, Jo!"

"It's not just your burden to carry!"

"This town wouldn't be the same without you, Jo."

She ignored the protests and made her way to the door.

But Zane blocked her way.

"You're not going anywhere."

She looked up at him. "Get out of my way."

"No. I'm not letting you walk out that door." He said, taking a step towards her.

"It's not your decision." She snapped, trying to shove past him, but he mirrored her movements. It took him several minutes to wrestle the things from her grasp, but when he did, he walked her back into the room.

"You're not going anywhere, Jojo. I'll lock you in that cell if I have to. I'm not letting you leave."

"Why? So you can mess with me?" She demanded. "So you can... flaunt the fact that you're dating a child in my face? So you can try to kiss me and make me fall in love with you again? So I can watch the others lose their jobs?"

"No."

"Then why are you doing this?" She asked, tears in her voice. "What do you want from me, Zane?" He stepped up to her; she had moved until her the backs of her legs hit her desk. Staring into her eyes, he wrapped an arm around her waist, grabbed her head, and whispered,

"This."

Their lips met in a kiss that made her knees go weak. She had to reach up and wrap her arms around his neck to keep her balance, even as her brain screamed at her to take this chance and run.

"Sometimes a spark is all you need, Jojo." He said, once the kiss had broken. She took a deep, shaky breath, letting her heart rate turn to normal before pulling away.

"No. There is no spark. There's isn't anything for us. We were never meant to be-"

"Who's to say we weren't?" Zane demanded, grabbing her wrist as she moved to go. "We were together in the other timeline, weren't we?" The others all nodded. "So who's to say that we aren't meant to be together in this timeline?" He asked, bringing her back to his side.

"Because we aren't." She said, tears in her eyes.

She wrenched her wrist from his grasp and fled. Zane gritted his teeth and rushed after her, determined to prove to her that she was wrong. Sharing worried glances, the others followed. By the time they left Jo's office and made it to the rotundra, Jo was already making her way through the security monitors. She stripped off her GD clip and handed it to the guard, before continuing. Zane stood in the middle of the rotundra, catching his breath.

"You're _wearing my grandmother's ring, Jo_! It's _fused into your skin! You wouldn't have put it on if you didn't love me and had planned on saying yes_!"

She stopped, surprised that he'd come after her. Everyone stopped and turned to look at her. She took several deep breaths and rolled her shoulders back, holding her head high as she ignored him and continued on. After a moment, Zane rushed after her, ignoring the security guards as they tried to get him to come back and do the scan properly.

Jo hurried down the hall, exiting the door and making her way out into the warm summer heat. She hurried down the steps and made a beeline for her car, tuning out Zane's protests, even as he gained on her. The group, as well as the rest of GD, had made it to the steps, watching from their vantage point as the partical physicist rushed to the Chief of Security. Just as Jo unlocked her car and pulled the door open to get in, Zane grabbed her and pulled her back, turning her to him. She looked up into his eyes, startled.

"What part of 'you're not going anywhere' do you _not_ understand?" He asked, before crushing her lips with his.


	6. Chapter 6

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

Everyone at GD breathed a sigh of relief, as they watched their Chief of Security finally give in to the kiss.

Everyone except the newest arrival.

_"What the fuck is going on?"_

It took several minutes, but eventually, Jo pulled away from Zane- more because she had to, due to Zoe shoving her roughly up against the car. The older woman didn't say a word or fight back, even after the younger girl slammed her head into the car. Zane reacted quickly, grabbing Zoe around the waist and pulling her away from Jo.

_"You slut! I trusted you! You were my best friend, and you betrayed me! With my boyfriend!"_

Jo didn't say a word, instead, she just held the back of her head and climbed behind the wheel of her car, shutting the door and pulling out of the parking lot. Once she was gone, Zoe wrenched out of Zane's grasp.

_"You better run, Slut! I hope you rot in hell, whore!"_

_"Zoe!"_

The younger woman turned, to see her father. She smiled at him, making her way towards him for a hug. He backed away.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

"How could you do that to Jo?" Carter demanded.

"Didn't you see her? The slut was making out with my boyfriend!"

_"I'm not your boyfriend!"_ The young woman turned to Zane. "We were _never_ involved. We're just_ friends_, Zoe."

"But... but we..." The girl started, but Zane cut her off.

"_Don't you understand?_ I love Jo. I always have. I always will." He whispered the last words, turning back to watch her, but the car was long gone. "I can't let her get away. I... I lost her once, I'm not going to lose her again." He turned back to Carter. "Thank you, Carter."

"For what?" The sheriff asked, confused.

"For actually knowing something about women."

Then, he dashed off, and in a matter of minutes, his motorcycle was speeding off to find Jo.

_"Zane!"_ Zoe turned to her father. _"How could you let him go after that..."_

"Zoe, I love you, you're my daughter, but I suggest you take a good look at all this. He was too old for you. He's in love with Jo. _Grow up_!" Her mouth dropped in surprise. She turned to find the rest of GD watching her, and began to feel a flush of shame creep up her neck.

Meanwhile, Zane sped towards Corilis Loop, searching for any sign of Jo. Telling Zoe off had taken a weight off his shoulders, and he knew that he had to make Jo stay. Though he didn't remember proposing, he did know what it was like to have Jo avoid him, and he couldn't bear it a moment longer.

As he headed down the road, the sight of someone lying on the side of the road made him stop, and he pulled over. Climbing off his bike, he rushed to where the person had been, but found he was alone. After a moment, he made his way through the dense overgrowth of the forest.

And came across Jo's car.

The little blue machine was abandoned, the keys still in the ignition, her belongings still on the floor in the back. Her jacket was tossed on the passenger seat, and she'd even left her handgun.

No sign of Jo, though.

Taking a deep breath, he followed the sound of the river, and eventually came across something that made his blood run cold.

A young woman was half submerged in the river; her head beneath the clear blue of the water. He recognized strands of long, black hair floating on the surface, the blouse and slacks she wore. But what made his heart stop was the hand lying almost nonchalantly on a rock. A familiar diamond sparked in the waning sunlight, and he rushed to her.

Gently, he pulled her from the river, checking for a gunshot wound of any kind. He found nothing, but a cut abover her left temple. After pressing his ear to her chest and hearing the fading of her heartbeat, he pulled out his cell.

"Carter? It's Zane. I... I found Jo... we... we need an ambulance... Because I found her in the river..."

It seemed like hours, days had passed, before he heard the wail of sirens in the distance. Carter was the first to arrive on the scene. The sight of Jo, so pale and lifeless in Zane's arms, brought tears to his eyes, and he hurried to the pair, kneeling next to the younger man.

"What happened?"

"I think she crashed her car. She... she was holding the back of her head after Zoe shoved her... I think she may have collapsed and cut her head..." Zane said, refusing to relinquish her to Carter. Paramedics arrived, and after some coaxing, they managed to get Zane to let go of her. He didn't hesitate and climbed into the back of the ambulance, holding her hand as they rushed to GD.

It was chaos when Allison finally saw the gurney carrying Jo. She paled, realizing how weak and fragile the younger woman looked. Once she was on the other side of the doors, Allison closed the infirmary to all but medical personel.

Two hours later, Allison stepped into the hall, removing the gloves she wore.

"How is she?" Zane asked, rushing up to the doctor.

"Stable. Weak, and pale, and recovering from a ruptured aneurysm, but stable."

"A... Aneurysm?" Zane asked, surprised. Allison nodded.

"We didn't-"

"No one did. One developed, and laid dormant until Zoe shoved her into the car this afternoon. She got... maybe five... six miles before becoming dizzy and running her car into the woods... she would have been disoriented when she crawled from the car... made it down to the river, and collapsed, and that's... probably when it ruptured. If you hadn't found her Zane, she wouldn't have survived. She would have been dead in a matter of seconds."

Allison gave him a greatful smile and laid a hand on his arm. Behind him, Carter said,

"She was waiting, Zane. For you."


	7. Chapter 7

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mondler1998 for reviewing 6.**

"Can I see her?"

Allison nodded, squeezing his arm. "Of course. But, you need a mask." Quickly, she fitted one of the invisible masks Henry had made a couple weeks ago onto him, before letting him go first. She followed him into the infirmary, shutting the door softly behind them. "She's still pretty weak, but she's awake."

Zane didn't hear the rest of Allison's explanation as he stepped up to the bed. She lay hooked up to monitors; two small, circular monitors that monitored brain activity rested on either side of her head, over her temples. After a moment, her dark eyes opened and she looked into Zane's blue eyes. Confusion filled her face as she stared at him, and he took a seat beside her, folding his hands.

"What are you-"

"Zane saved your life, Jo." Allison said, checking her vitals before leaving them alone to give the pair privacy. She let the others in, motioning for them to be quiet.

"How... how did you know how to find me?" She asked. He watched her for several minutes.

"I passed by the area where your car had crashed, and when I looked back, you were laying on the side of the road, nude. I pulled over, and when I went back to where I'd seen you, you were gone. I went looking and found your car, and then followed the sound of the river and... found you..."

Her brow furrowed further in confusion. "I... I wasn't on the side of the road, and I certainly wasn't nude. I... the last thing I remember is stumbling towards the river and... and then I woke up here. But I wasn't on the side of the road, Zane, I..."

He looked up, catching the others' eyes. Startled looks crossed their faces, and Allison quickly gathered the other three out in the hall.

"So... Jo wasn't on the side of the road, but Zane says that he saw her. But if Jo..."

"Maybe it was her way of communicating that something was wrong and she needed help. And Zane just happened to be the one to find her." Henry said.

"Or maybe she was hoping Zane would find her?" Allison said.

"No. Maybe she _knew_ Zane would find her." Carter replied. He went to the infirmary and watched the pair through the glass.

Meanwhile, Zane, tired of not doing anything, stood and began fixing little things around the bed. Eventually, he started working on fluffing her pillows.

"What is it with me and this infirmary? Somehow, the women I care about_ always_ end up here! What is it with me? First Zoe and now you!" He said, fluffing Jo's pillows. The force of the fluffing threw the young woman back and forth for several minutes.

"'Cause you're bad luck, obviously." She replied, once he'd stopped fluffing the pillows on her right side.

"A joke. At my expense." He replied, going to her other side and starting to work on the other pillows. "Glad to have you back, Lupo." She sighed.

"I'm kidding, Zane. It was a joke. I'm sorry." He sighed and sat next to her on the edge of the bed. She lay back, staring at him. "Thank you, Zane." He gave her a small smile.

"For what?" He asked.

"For saving me."

Silence reigned between them, before he leaned down and kissed her quickly. The others watched through the glass window, noticing the way he acted around her. Carter sighed in exasperation

"I don't-"

"He cares about her, Jack." Allison said. "He really does."


	8. Chapter 8

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

"I don't trust him."

"Jack."

Carter pulled away and went to the door. He watched as Jo and Zane talked softly. A nurse came over and injected something into Jo's IV; several moments passed before her eyes began to close. He watched as Zane lay next to her, wrapping an arm around her and holding her close.

"He needs to get away from her! Hey!" Carter rushed to the door, but Allison held him back.

"Let it go, Carter. He's not hurting her, he's just staying with her." She said, laying a hand on his arm. He glanced at Allison, before turning his gaze back to the bed. Zane and Jo slept peacefully in each others' arms.

"He's a felon, Ali-"

"But he loves her. He always has. In both times. He saved her life. If it wasn't for Zane, Jo would be dead." Before he could respond, Allison entered the infirmary, as the two awoke. Jack followed close behind. "How are you feeling, Jo?"

The woman sighed. "Tired."

"Vitals look good-" Jo ignored her; her gaze had moved to her hand, she still wore the ring.

Two weeks later, Jo stepped into her office and saw Zane sitting in her cell.

She groaned. "What are you doing here, Zane?" He shrugged.

"Wanted to see you."

"Then why didn't you stop by my place?" He stood, going to the door of the cell.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." She went to the cell.

"Zane, of course I want to see you. I love you."

"You love _him_, not me." He replied.

"Of course I love him, Zane. He was mine. And... and I... it'll take me a while, but... I think I can love you..." She punched in the code and the door slid open. "You can go."

He watched her go to her desk and take a seat; she pressed her forehead to her palms, lost in thought. He went to her, stopping at her desk. He examined her finger, remembering the story behind the heirloom that now sparkled on the Chief of Security's finger. After a moment, he leaned towards her; she looked up, shocked by Zane's sudden closeness.

She took a deep breath, relaxing slightly. "I said that you can go."

"How are you doing, Jojo?" She sighed.

"How do you think I'm doing? Your- _his_- grandmother's ring is fused into my skin, Zane. People are starting to talk. I'm getting looks from everyone... I've tried to hide it, but everyone sees it, they _know_ it's an engagement ring. It'll only be a matter of time before they start asking about the wedding, and when we don't give answers, they'll really start to talk."

He settled on the edge of her desk, arms crossed. After a moment, he leaned down. The warmth of his breath tickled her ear and she shivered.

"Then let's give them something to talk about, Jojo."

She looked up, intent on saying something, but Zane's lips prevented her from speaking.


	9. Chapter 9

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mondler1998 for reviewing 8.**

She took a deep breath, glancing around the rotundra as she headed for her office. People stared at her as she passed by, pointing to her, and whispers began to swirl as they caught sight of the ring on her finger. She bit her lip, ducking her head as she made her way to her office. She picked up her pace as she finally reached the hall, dodging Larry, and ignoring the questions he asked her. Letting out the breath she'd been holding, she moved to the retina scanner, and let the device run.

"Good Morning, Ms Lupo."

Fargo's feminized voice even grated on her strained nerves, but she shook it off. Just as she moved to step into the room, she looked up; Zane held a Vinspresso out to her, which she took with a small smile.

"Thank you."

He gave her his trademark smirk, the dimple appearing.

_God, I hope our kids have your smile, and your dimples._

She gave him a quick smile, and he leaned down, kissing her in full view of everyone. The hall fell quiet as everyone stopped to watch Jo kiss the man who was responisble for her emotional rollercoaster. She stumbled back, but he caught her around the waist, pulling her to him. When he broke the kiss, he knelt down and picked up a to-go box.

"What's all this?"

"Treats."

She stared at him, confused.

"I stopped by Cafe Diem, and picked up your favorite foods."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "How do you-"

"Carrots filled with crumbled crutons and feta, deviled eggs filled with chocolate pudding," He gave her an disturbed look, "jalepeno peppers, macaroni salad, and... rocky road ice cream." He pulled a spoon out of the box and held up a carton of ice cream.

She gave him a quick smile, taking the ice cream. "Thank you. But, why?"

"Because I wanted to. And, I figured, that we could have a picnic for lunch."

"But-"

"Let them talk, Jojo." He whispered, kissing her quickly. Then, he took her hand and pulled her into her office; once the door closed behind them, the hall burst into gossip. She set the ice cream on her desk, and turned to Zane.

"Why are you really here?" She asked. He went to her.

"Because our plan is working perfectly."

"Plan?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. "What plan?"

"Making everyone think we're engaged... at least until we're able to remove the ring from your finger."

She scoffed, shocked. "Okay, we aren't together. We never were." She said, motioning between them.

"But we were."

"Don't bring him into this-" She stared, holding a hand up.

"In the other timeline, we were together. We were practically engaged." She covered her ears and shut her eyes, trying hard to block out his words. "If you'd only said yes..." He pulled her hands away from her ears. "You said it yourself. We'd probably be married with a couple kids." She looked up at him.

"But I wouldn't be married to you, I'd be married to _him_." She gave him a shove and went to the door, but he grabbed her around the waist.

"Either way, it's us, Jojo. You and me." He said, giving her his trademark smile. She glowered at him before pulling away. "At least have lunch with me, Jojo." She rolled her eyes, but returned to him. He held out the box of treats, and she snatched it away, taking a seat at her desk. He watched her for several minutes, noticing how she removed everything and examined it, as though checking to make sure it hadn't been tampered with. "It's not poisoned."

She looked up at him. "I know. I just... I like to make sure everything is made correctly." She blushed, laying dwon napkins and spreading everything out in front of her. Then, she held out a deviled egg filled with pudding. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head, instead reaching for a carrot filled with crutons and feta.

"What is it with you and your odd food choices? Deviled eggs and pudding? Disgusting." She raised an eyebrow.

"As opposed to _your_ odd food choices?" She asked. "Olives stuffed with bleu cheese? Toasted peanut butter and bacon? Ew."

"Hey! The olives aren't that bad, you have to admit that-"

"Okay, the olives _are_ pretty good." She consented, nodding. "But the bacon and toasted peanut butter? Seriously?" He shrugged.

"I have odd tastes."

"Obviously."

"So do you." He said, smiling at her. She blushed and ducked her head quickly. After a moment, he went around her desk and pulled her from her chair, taking a seat. Then, he pulled her onto his lap. They ate in siilence for several minutes, sipping their coffee, before she reached for the carton.

"There's only one spoon... don't you want any?" She asked, turning to look at him. He thought a moment.

"Eh... maybe... maybe not..." She raised an eyebrow as she opened to carton and took a bite. When he set his cup down, he found her holding a spoonful of the ice cream out to him. "What are you-" She stared at him, and he rolled his eyes, but accepted the spoonful of ice cream. "Thank you." She nodded.

They sat in silence for several moments, before she leaned down, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. Neither noticed as the door opened and Fargo entered, the other three behind them.


	10. Chapter 10

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mondler1998 for reviewing 9.**

"What the _frack?"_

The couple broke apart, turning to see the others in the doorway of Jo's office. She quickly climbed off Zane's lap and hurried to them. "It's not what it looks like-"

"Really? Because it looks like you're eating face with Zane, Jo." Carter said, crossing his arms.

"No! We... we were just... having lunch..." The others stared at her, not fully believing her lie. She didn't hear Zane come up behind her and take her hand.

"There's no need to lie, Jojo. We're all friends. We should tell them." She looked up at him, confused.

"Tell us what?" Allison asked. Zane glanced at Jo, who opened her mouth to speak, then suddenly closed it. He gave her a smile before wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"We're engaged."

_"What?"_ Jo turned to look at him, startled. Everyone else shared the same look.

"Now don't play dumb, Jojo. Remember? I proposed last night after dinner. I decided that, we've danced around each other long enough, and... since she's already wearing my ring, to make it official and propose. And... she... excitedly accepted." Zane said, looking up at the others.

"But... but the ring is fused to her bones..." Allison started.

"I know. And, rather than have her go through the embarrassment of having to explain it, we... decided to go ahead and get engaged. After all, we love each other." Zane replied, squeezing her hand. "Right babe?" He asked, glancing at Jo. It took her a few minutes to get over the shock, but eventually, she turned to him and gave him a shaky smile.

"R... ight." She said, biting her lip.

"Well... congratulations." Everyone else turned to Henry, who glanced at everyone. "When is the wedding?"

"We... haven't decided yet." Jo said, pulling away from Zane. Carter went to her, taking her hand.

"Are you sure you're okay with this? Zane didn't... coerce you into marriage?" She shook her head.

"No."

"What made you change your mind?" He asked, glancing at Zane. She shrugged.

"I just... realized that... he's my Zane. Well, not mine, but... he is him, just a different one. I just... decided it was time to move on, that's all."

"And you sure you're okay?" Carter asked. She nodded again.

"Yes, Jack, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" He sighed.

"I just... I don't trust him-"

"You didn't trust him in the other time either, Jack."

"But I grew to, Jo. Just... promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise." He nodded, kissing her forehead. Congratulations were passed around, before Allison said,

"Um, Jo, can you come to the infirmary with me? I just want to run a few tests. See how you're doing." The younger woman nodded, before following her, but not before turning and giving Zane a quick kiss. Once the pair were gone, Henry shut the door to Jo's office and motioned for Zane to take a seat on the sofa.

"We need to talk."

"Oh boy." Reluctantly, Zane sat. He now faced the calvary.

"Look, I don't know what game you're playing," Carter started.

"I'm not playing any game-"

"But if you hurt Jo- in any way, shape or form- I'm going to hurt you. She's been through way too much in the last few years, and she's fragile. If you hurt her, you're going to wish you'd never come to Eureka, got it?" Zane nodded as the father in Carter wrapped itself protectively around Jo.

"Look, I know about the timeline. I won't tell, I promise. It's not like anyone's going to believe me anyway. You're secret is safe. And... I won't hurt her. I love her." Zane said, stopping Carter from speaking.

"Love is a tricky word, Zane. You can love someone, but not truly love them just because you say you do." Henry said. Zane turned to the older man.

"Look, I know how protective you all are of Jo, but I'm not going to hurt her-"

"You hurt her when you were with Zoe, Zane." Carter cut in.

"First off, I think of Zoe as a little sister. I don't love her like I love Jo. She's a kid! Jo... Jo's a woman... who... who I've fallen head over heels for."

"Are you sure about that?" Fargo asked. "Because if you're playing with her heart and her emotions, I won't hesitate to terminiate your contract with GD and send you back to Federal."

The young physicist sighed.

"I'm not playing with her! And yes, Fargo, I'm sure! I love her."

Minutes passed in silence, before Jack said, "You know, when I first met Jo, she was... slightly anti-social and... was wound so tightly that no one could get close to her. And then you- _he_- came into town, and... she hated him. He did everything he could to get her attention, from... making fun of her intelligence to ordering nineteen boxes of lingerie from Liza's and telling her that she should model them for him. He was an arrogant ass- a lot like you, actually-" Zane ducked his head as Carter talked. "But eventually, she began to relax and open up. She got to the point where, she trusted him, and fell in love with him. And... when he proposed, I hate to say it, but... I walked in on them. She hesitated, and he stormed off, not waiting for her to explain. We went to 1947, and when we came back and saw you and Zoe together, it just about broke her heart. What they had, in the other time- was real, and coated. As coated as it could possibly be. But she loved him, and she still does. I don't know if you'll have the same as what she had with him, but... if you do, I only hope you don't screw it up and hurt her. Because if you do, you won't be alive to put the pieces of her heart back together. Got it?"

Zane nodded, looking around at the others before turning his gaze to Carter.

"Yeah, I got it. Loud and clear."


	11. Chapter 11

**Rifiuto: Non Miriena**

**Thanks to mondler1998 for reviewing 10.**

"They gave me the talk."

"Who? Carter?"

"Carter, Henry... Fargo." He shivered, and pulled her close. They stood in the kitchen at Zane's apartment, sharing a cup of coffee.

"Fargo?" Jo asked, raising her eyebrows. He nodded, taking the cup out of her hand and taking a sip.

"Told me that if I hurt you, I wouldn't live to see the next Founders' Day. They all made that very clear." He said, looking down at her. She nodded.

"I... stopped by Cafe Diem today; Vincent's already got a pool started- betting on whether we'll elope or not." She said, turning to face him. He sighed.

"Well, phase one is complete. We've got everyone thinking we're engaged and in love. Now all we need to do is..."

"What?" She asked, looking up at him. He sighed.

"I'm not sure."

"Well, we've got the engagement down. The next thing that comes is..."

"The wedding." Zane finished for her, nodding. "What do you want to do?"

"I don't know. If we get married..."

"It's binding." She nodded, surprised that he was able to finish her thoughts. "It's up to you, Jo."

She thought a moment, before looking up at him. "Let's plan a wedding."

Two days later, Allison entered Jo's office, but she stopped in her tracks at the sight of Jo's desk. Wedding magazines littered the normally clean desk area, a cup of coffee sat on the desktop beside her, and she was leaning back in her chair, flipping through one of the magazines.

"Um... Jo..."

The Head of Security looked up, startled. "Allison, come on in. Sorry about the mess." She quickly closed the magazine and set it on the desk. Allison took a seat across from her and picked up one of the magazines, scanning the title.

"Ah... Jo... what's with the..."

"Oh, well, you know, Zane and I decided that we should start planning, especially since we're... planning on getting married in... six weeks."

_"Six weeks?"_ Allison cried, dropping the magazine.

"Yeah."

"Why so fast?"

Jo shrugged. "We just... Zane and I don't want to wait. We want to get married as soon as possible. You never know what'll happen, after all. Right?" She asked, looking up at Allison. The older woman gave her a confused look.

"Um... right." Jo nodded.

"Look, ah... I was... wondering if... if you would be my maid of honor." Allison sat back, startled, but touched.

"Of... of course. I'd love to be your maid of honor, Jo." Allison said, reaching over and taking the younger woman's hand. She recieved a genuine, excited smile that made her insides knot.

"So, um, what did you want to talk to me about?" Jo asked, sitting back in her chair. Allison pursed her lips.

"You know what, it's not important. Not right now, nothing I can't handle." She said, climbing to her feet.

"You're sure?" Jo asked, seeing her to the door. Allison nodded.

"Yeah." She turned to go, only to find Zane in her way. "Zane! Hi." He nodded to Allison, before turning his eyes to Jo.

"Hey Allison. I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but, I need to... talk to Jo."

"Not at all, I was just leaving." Allison said, ducking between them. She hurried down the hall, pulling out her cell and dialing Jack. "Jack? It's Allison. Listen, get the others together, I need to talk to all of you... About what? About Jo and Zane!"

Once Allison was gone, Zane shut the door behind him and took Jo in his arms. He leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss before asking, "So, how-"

"It went well. She thinks we're getting married in six weeks." Jo said, pulling away from him. "And that she's going to be my maid of honor." He chuckled.

"Really? I never thought they were that gullible." She shrugged.

"Now, all we have to do is keep our little charade up for the next six weeks, and hopefully by then-"

"We'll have come up with a way to get the ring out of your finger." Zane finished.

"Exactly." She said, going to her desk. He followed, glancing down at all the wedding magazines.

"What's all this?"

"Just... a few props to... help me play the part." She replied, looking up at him. He gave her a quick smile and kissed her. She reached down,getnly sliding her hand between his thighs and squeezing lightly- only to get the diamond snagged on the material of his pants. When she pulled away, the ring didn't budge, and instead, they toppled backward onto the ground.

"Jo, can you get off me? I need to get back to work." She climbed up, allowing him to sit up, but when she moved to pull away, it only served to throw her back into his arms. "What the hell-"

"Um... I... I think the ring got... caught on the inside of your pants..." Her face had gone red and she bit her lip. He sighed.

"_Please_, tell me you're kidding, Jojo." She shook her head. "Crap. If Carter or anyone else catches us, we're screwed."

She slumped down, looking at him.

"We're _already_ screwed, Zane."


End file.
